Packaging is usually the last item on a supplement launch plan and the first thing to delay it. The bottle arrives but the cap from another supplier does not seal on its neck finish. The pouch printer needs a minimum run far above the first order. The label film wrinkles in a humid warehouse. And when the importer asks for proof that the bottle resin is suitable for food contact, nobody has the paper.
This guide is for supplement and food manufacturers, OEM factories and brands that buy bottles, caps, pouches and labels for their own filling and packing. It covers what to specify for each component, which food-contact documents to collect, how printing method affects small runs, and how to make components from different suppliers work together.
Health supplements are foods, not medicines, and are not a substitute for medical treatment.
💬 Buying bottles, pouches or labels for a supplement line? We source packaging from Japan and elsewhere in Asia, with the specification and food-contact papers. See ingredients and packaging supply.
Bottle and cap: specify them as one system
A bottle and its cap only work if the neck finish, liner and seal are specified together, so order them as a matched pair or give both suppliers the same neck-finish drawing.
The choice of material (HDPE, PET, amber glass and others) depends on the product format and the barrier it needs. Our guide to bottle materials for Japan-made supplements compares them. For a purchase, the specification has to go further than the material.
| Component | What to specify |
|---|---|
| Bottle | Material and colour, capacity, neck finish (thread standard and size), weight, dimensions drawing, opacity or light protection |
| Cap | Material, neck finish matching the bottle, type (screw, flip-top, child-resistant), colour, liner |
| Liner or seal | Induction seal, pressure-sensitive seal or none; compatibility with the bottle material |
| Tamper evidence | Induction seal, breakable band or shrink sleeve, as your market expects |
| Desiccant (if used) | Type, size and whether it is in the cap or loose; food-contact papers |
The neck finish is where mismatches happen. Two caps described by the same nominal size can differ in thread profile. Ask both the bottle and the cap supplier for their technical drawings and check them against each other before ordering, or buy the pair from one source with a test of fit and torque.
Induction seals depend on the bottle material: a liner designed for one resin may not bond to another. Ask the supplier to confirm the liner is matched to your bottle material, and run a sealing trial on your own sealer before the main order.
Child-resistant closures are required for some products in some markets. Whether your product needs one is a question for the rules of the country of sale; confirm the current rule in the country of use before choosing the cap.
Food-contact papers by market
Every component that touches the product needs a food-contact statement written for the market where it will be sold; ask for it at the quotation stage, not after delivery.
Food-contact rules are set by each country, and a declaration written for one market does not automatically cover another. The table lists frameworks we confirmed in their published form. For any other market, confirm the current rule in the country of use.
| Market | Framework for plastic food-contact materials | What to ask the supplier for |
|---|---|---|
| Japan | Positive list system for synthetic resins in food utensils, containers and packaging under the Food Sanitation Act, in force from 1 June 2020; the list revised by Notification No. 324 of 2023 applies from 1 June 2025 | Statement that the resin and additives conform to the positive list |
| European Union | Regulation (EC) No 1935/2004 (framework) and Regulation (EU) No 10/2011 (plastics) | Declaration of compliance and migration test results |
| Vietnam | QCVN 12-1:2011/BYT, the national technical regulation for synthetic plastic packaging and utensils in direct contact with food, issued with Circular 34/2011/TT-BYT | Test report against QCVN 12-1 |
| United States | Food additive regulations for food-contact substances in 21 CFR Parts 174 to 178 | Supplier letter stating the regulations the resin complies with |
Three practical points:
- The statement must name the component you are buying, including colour. A coloured bottle contains a colourant masterbatch that the statement must cover.
- Labels and outer cartons usually do not touch the product, but inks on the inside of a pouch or a label applied directly to a food can. Ask where the ink sits.
- Migration testing depends on the product. A test done with one food simulant may not represent an oily softgel or an acidic powder. Tell the supplier what goes inside.
Your importer uses these documents for whatever declaration your country requires. For products sold in Vietnam, the Vietnam supplement label checklist covers what must be printed on the pack.
💬 Need food-contact papers for a bottle you already use? Tell us the component and the market and we ask the supplier for the matching declaration or test report.
Pouches and stick packs
For a pouch, specify the laminate structure, barrier, zipper and size, and agree whether it will be printed by gravure or digitally, because the printing method decides how small a run can be.
Pouches are built from laminated films. Each layer has a job: an outer printable layer, a barrier layer (often aluminium foil or a metallised or coated film), and an inner sealing layer. Our guide to blister packs and pouches compares formats; for buying, the specification looks like this:
| Pouch item | What to specify |
|---|---|
| Structure | Each layer by material, from outside to inside |
| Barrier | Moisture and oxygen barrier needed by the product; ask for the supplier’s test values |
| Format | Stand-up, flat, gusseted, stick pack; dimensions drawing |
| Closure | Zipper, tear notch, spout or none |
| Finish | Matt, gloss, clear window, kraft paper outer |
| Food contact | Inner layer and adhesive covered by the food-contact statement for your market |
| Recycling | Mono-material structure if you plan a recyclability claim; check what your market requires for such a claim |
If you fill pouches yourself, give the supplier your filling machine’s requirements: sealing temperature range, film width for roll stock, and pouch dimensions for pre-made pouches.
Labels: material, adhesive and printing
Choose label stock and adhesive for your bottle material and your warehouse climate, and choose the printing method by run length and the number of designs.
Labels fail in ways that are easy to prevent. Paper labels can wrinkle or lift in high humidity, while film labels (such as polypropylene) tolerate moisture better. An adhesive chosen for glass may not hold on a squeezable HDPE bottle. Ask for:
- Face stock (paper or film, white or clear) and its finish;
- Adhesive suited to the bottle material and to the temperature range in storage and transport;
- Overlaminate or varnish if the label will be handled often or exposed to oil;
- Roll specification for your labelling machine: core size, outer diameter, winding direction and gap between labels.
Printing method affects cost and minimum quantity more than anything else:
| Printing method | Suits | What to consider |
|---|---|---|
| Digital | Short runs, many designs or languages, frequent changes | No plates; cost per label higher on long runs |
| Flexographic | Longer runs of a stable design | Plates needed for each colour; setup cost spread over volume |
| Gravure (mainly pouches and film) | Long runs, high print quality | Cylinders needed for each colour; best for large, stable volumes |
For a first launch with several language versions, digital printing is often the practical choice, moving to plate-based printing once the design and volume stabilise. The point to decide is how often your label text will change, since every regulatory update means new plates on a plate-based process.
The label text itself is the brand’s responsibility. The printer prints the artwork you approve, so we recommend that the text is checked against the destination’s rules before artwork is finalised.
Small runs and mixed suppliers
A first order often mixes stock components with custom printing; agree which parts are stock, which are custom, and who checks that they fit together before anything ships.
Minimum quantities for custom moulded bottles, custom colours and gravure-printed pouches are set by the producer’s tooling and setup. Stock bottles and caps in standard colours, plain pouches and digitally printed labels usually give more room on the first order. A common approach is to start with stock bottles and custom labels, then move to custom bottles or printed pouches once volumes are proven.
When components come from different producers, someone has to check fit before they reach your filling line. In practice that means:
- fixing the neck-finish drawing and sharing it with the bottle and cap producers;
- sending sample bottles to the label printer for a size and adhesion check;
- a short trial of bottle, cap, seal and label together on your line.
We arrange samples from each producer so the trial can happen before the main order. Price, minimum order and lead time depend on material, tooling, colour, printing method and quantity, so we quote once the specification is agreed.
How we supply packaging components
You send the components, drawings or samples, quantities and the destination; we match producers in Japan or elsewhere in Asia, collect specifications and food-contact papers, arrange samples and ship.
We do not name packaging producers on this site. A typical request covers the bottle and cap, the seal, the label and the carton, with the market where the product will be sold. We collect each producer’s specification and food-contact statement for that market, arrange samples for a fit and filling trial, and ship with the export documents. Import clearance in your country is handled by the importer.
If you are also buying fill materials, see the guides to empty capsule supply, collagen peptide raw material and taurine and amino acid raw materials. If you want a third party to check packed goods at a Vietnamese factory before shipment, see the guide to pre-shipment inspection and AQL.
💬 Starting a new supplement line and need bottles, caps and labels that fit together? Send us your drawings or samples and we arrange matched components and a fit trial.
Frequently asked questions
1. Is a food-contact declaration for Japan valid in the EU or Vietnam?
No. Each market has its own framework. A statement written against Japan’s positive list does not replace an EU declaration of compliance or a Vietnamese test report against QCVN 12-1. Ask for the document written for the market where the product is sold.
2. Can I buy a small first run of printed labels?
Digital printing usually makes short runs and multiple designs practical because it needs no plates. The minimum depends on the printer and the label specification, so we confirm it with the quotation.
3. Why does my induction seal not stick to the bottle?
The seal liner has to match the bottle material and your sealer settings. Ask the cap supplier to confirm the liner is designed for your resin, and run a sealing trial before the main order.
4. Do labels need food-contact papers?
Usually not, if the label sits on the outside of a closed container and does not touch the product. Inks inside a pouch or labels applied directly to a food are a different case; tell the supplier where the print sits.
5. Do I need child-resistant caps?
It depends on the product and the country of sale. Confirm the current rule in the country of use; we then source a closure that matches the bottle’s neck finish.
Checked on 25 October 2026. Sources: Japan Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, positive list system for synthetic resins in food utensils, containers and packaging, Notifications No. 195 and 196 of 2020, in force 1 June 2020, and Notification No. 324 of 2023, applying from 1 June 2025 (mhlw.go.jp/stf/newpage_36419.html); Regulation (EC) No 1935/2004 and Commission Regulation (EU) No 10/2011 (eur-lex.europa.eu); Vietnam Ministry of Health, Circular 34/2011/TT-BYT issuing QCVN 12-1:2011/BYT on synthetic plastic packaging and utensils in direct contact with food (thuvienphapluat.vn); United States Code of Federal Regulations, Title 21, Parts 174 to 178 (ecfr.gov). Food-contact and closure rules change; confirm the current rule in the country of use.